Talk:The Transformed Man

Charles Bud Dant

Does anybody own a copy of the album and can confirm that Charles Bud Dant is really the producer? The allmusic.com entry of the album lists him as the "executive producer" but despite sounding similar that is a much different position. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Lairor (talk • contribs) 20:28, 23 March 2006 (UTC)

Producer was Don Ralke. I have updated the {{Infobox album}}. HairyWombat (talk) 23:56, 14 November 2009 (UTC)

Spleen

Article credits a "Fred Devenport" as the writer on this tract. Did he write the music? The poem he is reciting is a fairly literal translation of Charles Baudelaire's Spleen, which in the original French goes:

Quand le ciel bas et lourd pèse comme un couvercle
Sur l'esprit gémissant en proie aux longs ennuis,
Et que de l'horizon embrassant tout le cercle
Il nous verse un jour noir plus triste que les nuits;

Quand la terre est changée en un cachot humide,
Où l'Espérance, comme une chauve-souris,
S'en va battant les murs de son aile timide
Et se cognant la tête à des plafonds pourris;

Quand la pluie étalant ses immenses traînées
D'une vaste prison imite les barreaux,
Et qu'un peuple muet d'infâmes araignées
Vient tendre ses filets au fond de nos cerveaux,

Des cloches tout à coup sautent avec furie
Et lancent vers le ciel un affreux hurlement,
Ainsi que des esprits errants et sans patrie
Qui se mettent à geindre opiniâtrement.

-Et de longs corbillards, sans tambours ni musique,
Défilent lentement dans mon âme; l'Espoir,
Vaincu, pleure, et l'Angoisse atroce, despotique,
Sur mon crâne incliné plante son drapeau noir.

— Smerdis of Tlön 19:39, 1 August 2006 (UTC)

Did Shatner's album have any "Value"?

Ok, so I was a very geeky kid in Jr. High School in 1968. and I loved Star Trek, so I bought the so-called "worst album ever produced". Even then it was obvious to me that this was not a great musical production.

But I did listen to it, many times, and it did have one redeeming value. It got me turned on to Shakespeare. William Shatner's Transformed Man made Shakespeare sound intersting and exciting to me. I started reading Shakespeare after that. The album gave me a great gift, and have therefore never regretted buying the "worst album ever".

I hope it had the same effect on others, but even if it didn't, at least one kid got something real and valuable from it. I'd say the ablum has value on that basis.

Is is easy to poo-poo something, but that doesn't always make it worthless.

BigBear427 (talk) 07:06, 19 May 2010 (UTC)

"Hear, hear!" The album has immortal value: we know about it. It's campy, it's priceless. Long live The Transformed Man! Doc9871 (talk) 03:49, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

Redeemed Value

For 99% of humanity, this album is pure schlock, drek. For a select few, the album makes sense. Read Shatner's books. He explains why he made it, and why he did what he did. He genuinely meant well, as he did with HAS BEEN and Fear of Pop, but opposed to Seeking Major Tom which is fully intended to be what many perceive this album to be, drek. The Transformed Man is Shatner's attempt to be "Beat" Kerouac style, poetic, avaunt garde, post modern, cerebral, and even intellectual. This was his "Howl" ala Ginsberg, his "Jazz of the Beat Generation" ala Kerouac.

Anyone listening to this album today is hearing it out-of-context. You're missing the Summer of Love, the popular culture of 1968, Vietnam, the Hippies, etc. To listen to this album today is like watching a silent movie. You could, but you'd rather not. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.43.18.19 (talk) 03:40, 8 December 2011 (UTC)

Transformed Man original language/author

The liner notes credit Frank Davenport with translating "The Transformed Man", but I can't seem to find any reference to the source material. Does anyone out there know? Frank? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jhughescmoc (talk • contribs) 13:24, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

External links modified

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